InOnIt Guides: Most Haunted Places in India

Do you believe in paranormal activities? Is there an after-life or a parallel world that surrounds us while we eat, sleep and breathe? Is someone breathing down your neck while you read this? Spooked out? Not until you read our guide to some of the most haunted places in India that will scare the bejesus out of you! Read and visit at your own risk.

Bhangarh, Rajasthan

Filled with historical ruins and allegedly cursed, Bhangarh is a town in the Alwar district of Rajasthan that has ancient myths attached to it, making it a tourist attraction for adventure seeking travellers. If legends are to be believed, the town was cursed by Guru Balu Nath, who agreed to construct the town on one condition: “The moment the shadows of your palaces touch me, the city shall be no more!” The Guru, who is till date buried in a small Samadhi, cursed the town, when his condition was broken by a descendant prince. Another myth about the town’s spooky history involves the marriage of Princess of Bhangarh, Ratnavati. In order to marry the princess, which seemed impossible for a tantrik called Singhia, he used his power of black magic to woo her. The princess, however, faulted his plan, which crushed Singhia and led him to curse the palace with death of all who inhabit it. With rumours of missing people, eerie vibes that leave you feeling restless and nervous, ghostly encounters, restrictions to enter after dark, the city of Bhangarh tops our list and many other’s (who claim to have experienced unnatural phenomena here), for the most haunted place in our country.

Where: Bhangarh is located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, 80 kms to the North East of Jaipur.

Hotel Savoy, Mussorie

Agatha Christie fans should add this place in their list of must-visits. It’s where the author got inspiration for her novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Indeed, Hotel Savoy that was built in the early 1900s has been through a lifetime of events and mysterious hauntings. Luxuriously spooky, this grand historic building stands like an emblematic spot of the Victorian era, and the imaginative mind will know exactly how the British lived there at that time, just by looking at the architecture and taking in the paranormal vibe of the place. The walls tell a story, the air there breathes of an era long gone. The ghost of Lady Garnet Orme, the former owner of the hotel who was found dead with Strychnine (highly toxic pesticide used to kill birds and rodents) in her medicine bottle, still lingers in the hallways. She hums melancholic melodies and whispers desolately. Witnesses say that her aimlessly wandering around the corridors is a result of the unknown murderer not having been found. Her cold, blank, sad expression is sure to give you sleepless nights, if you ever are lucky (or doomed) enough to have an encounter with her.

Where: Hotel Savoy is in the popular hill station of Uttarakhand state of India, Mussoorie.

Dow Hill, West Bengal

Dark, damp, chilly and vast with hardly any human access: all elements that go in the making of a ghostly town is what Dow Hill, Kurseong in West Bengal is made up of. The creepy forests there have had records of mysterious events, one being the silhouette of a headless little boy walking around the place and then disappearing amidst the trees. Supernatural happenings and countless unexpected murders have occurred here, and the hearing of footsteps at one of their local school corridors is an ongoing phenomenon. Are you willing to take the chance to experience the unseen?

Where: Kurseong hill station of Darjeeling in West Bengal.

Tunnel No. 103, Shimla

A dingy 140 yards-long tunnel in the middle of nowhere, quaintly placed between huge mountains that intimidate you with mysteriously spooky beauty, Tunnel No. 103. This dark passageway will bring back nightmares and memories of childhood you’d long to forget. Said to be the living place of a dead Englishman, who committed suicide there after he was charged and insulted for not having built it properly, his spirit resides there till date. Not only can you feel his presence, it is heard that he talks to passers by and answers their questions. Harmless, yes; believable, you’ll have to find out! Shimla also has tiny villages around that are filled with stories of a woman screaming but not seen and other such mysteries. Not all tunnels have a light at the end of it. Care for a chat, Colonel?

Where: Tunnel No. 103 is on the Shimla-Kalka road.

Kuldhara Village near Jaisalmer

What used to be a village 18 kms from Jaisalmer, is now a long stretch of bricks, dust and creepy silence. Abandoned overnight, Kuldhara’s folklore will leave you stunned and scared for days on end. Just imagining a whole civilization leaving their home and no one knows where they moved on, gives you the creeps. Some say it was due to ill treatment by the king, others talk about his love for a village-girl who he forcefully wanted to marry, but one night in the year 1825, the Paliwal Brahmins decided to leave their homes behind in agitation. But they also left another fatal thing, a curse that would haunt the village roads forever. Whoever would try to make Kuldhara their home would perish. After years, the village still remains empty with not a single human soul residing there. You can take a walk along Kuldhara (before 6pm only) to know what experiencing the presence of nothingness feels like.

Where: Kuldhara village is on the western outskirts of Jaisalmer.

Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad

The largest film studio in the world, Ramoji Film City has more to it than just that. Expect a few hands grabbing your neck because as the legend suggests, the studio is built on the battlefields used by the Nizams to fight wars. Witnesses have reported the top lights falling mid-way into the shoot. Recalled as a place that shouldn’t even haunt your dreams, people shooting here have experienced a lot of paranormal activity. Food left in the pantry has been scattered around and men handling the sets have been pushed from heights. The so-called ‘ghosts’ have their own targets though – the women. Women and actresses have experienced their saris being pulled off and their clothes being torn. The ghosts also knock on closed bathroom doors that are seemingly latched from outside. A quivery feeling of nausea accompanies the dressing rooms, which have texts similar to Urdu written all over the walls when left alone. The film authorities rubbish these allegations off as rumors but it’s a little hard to not believe when ten people recount similar instances, right? This place is definitely for the daredevils, who would like to explore the undisputable truth or merely a popular myth.

Where: Ramoji Film City is located near Hayathnagar in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.

Dumas Beach, Surat

Dumas, a black sand beach in Surat has a paranormal reputation dating back to almost 50 years. The spooky fables that travel about this spot are because Dumas is a burning ground for the dead bodies of the Hindu community and that their spirits tend to dawdle around here is no myth. There’s a whispery breeze that blows across the beach during the night that could curdle your blood. The dogs reportedly turn crazy and keep running through the length of the beach after sunset. It is alleged that when a person tries to go too close to the ocean, there are sinister warnings heard asking them to stop going any further. A lot of intrepid tourists have ostensibly disappeared when exploring the beach late in the night. The beach has an ambience as hair-raising in the night as placid it is during the day. Venture here at your own risk, but not without your dog.

Where: Dumas beach is located 21 km South West of Surat city in Gujarat.

Mukesh Mills, Mumbai

If you live in Mumbai and have one of those horror movie nights, talks of Mukesh Mills will surely spring up. The mill shut down in 1980 due to a big fire, leaving behind traces of the dead. The ground was then used to shoot movies (horror ones at that). Crewmembers and actors refuse to work after sunset in this abandoned mill turned into a film-set. Stories of people getting possessed are not an uncommon phenomenon here. A lady crewmember, who was once shooting there started speaking in a male’s voice and got immense power when people tried to calm her down. That and many other such spoken incidents that took place at the haunted Mukesh Mills will send shivers down your spine. Maybe some journeys and road should remain untravelled.

Where: Mukesh Mills is in Colaba in South Mumbai.

- Sneha Mankani

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